[214], Of the 13,135 fatalities recovered by 11 April 2011, 12,143 or 92.5% died by drowning. [244] His body was found on 2 April 2011 along Ocean Beach in Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon, 530 km (330 mi) to the north. There may be a need to replace the contaminated soil. The break caused the sea floor to rise by several metres. Most of these deaths occurred in Fukushima prefecture, where the prefecture government has suggested that they could be due to evacuations caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. At this time Japan's Disaster Management Office (Naikakufu Bosai Keikaku) published a bi-lingual guide in Japanese and English, Disaster Management in Japan, to outline the several varieties of natural disaster and the preparations being made for the eventuality of each. [257], The Port of Tokyo suffered slight damage; the effects of the quake included visible smoke rising from a building in the port with parts of the port areas being flooded, including soil liquefaction in Tokyo Disneyland's parking lot. Cabinet Office Disaster Management, Government of Japan (2015). [309][310][311] Officials from the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency reported that radiation levels inside the plant were up to 1,000 times normal levels,[312] and that radiation levels outside the plant were up to eight times normal levels. Most of these deaths occurred during the first six months after the earthquake and the number dropped thereafter, but as time has passed, the number has continued to increase. [303], The Energy Commissioner of the European Union Günther Oettinger addressed the European Parliament on 15 March, explaining that the nuclear disaster was an "apocalypse". The earthquake is often referred to in Japan as the Great East Japan Earthquake (東日本大震災, Higashi nihon daishinsai)[15][16][fn 1] and is also known as the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake,[31] the Great Sendai Earthquake,[32] the Great Tōhoku Earthquake,[32] and the great earthquake of March 11. A magnitude 7.4 Mw at 15:08 (JST), 7.9 Mw at 15:15 and a 7.7 Mw quake at 15:26 all occurred on 11 March. [237] The single crematorium in Higashimatsushima, for example, could only handle four bodies a day, although hundreds were found there. Seismologists anticipated a very large quake would strike in the same place as the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake — in the Sagami Trough, southwest of Tokyo. [281][282][283] The Japanese government continued to ask the public to conserve electricity until 2016, when it is predicted that the supply will be sufficient to meet demand, thanks to the deepening of the mindset to conserve electricity among corporate and general public, addition of new electricity providers due to the electricity liberalization policy, increased output from renewable energy as well as fossil fuel power stations, as well as sharing of electricity between different electricity companies. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was believed to be an aftershock from the magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11, 2011 that set off a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people along a wide swath of northeastern Japan, and the Fukushima nuclear accident, the world's worst in 25 years. One of the first major foreshocks was a 7.2 Mw event on 9 March, approximately 40 km (25 mi) from the epicenter of the 11 March earthquake, with another three on the same day in excess of 6.0 Mw. [78][79] Analysis showed that this earthquake consisted of a set of three events. (Nearly two years later, on December 7, 2012, a magnitude-7.3 tremor originated from the same plate boundary region. [384], In this national crisis, the Japanese government provided Japanese Sign Language (JSL) interpreting at the press conferences related to the earthquake and tsunami. Japan's monster quake: Do scientists have key to decode future tremblors? An expedition named Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project have been conducted in year 2012–2013 to drill oceanfloor boreholes through the fault-zone of the earthquake and gathered important data about the rupture mechanism and physical properties of the fault that caused the huge earthquake and tsunami which devastated much of northeast Japan.[401][402]. [381] Other nationwide Japanese and international TV networks also broadcast uninterrupted coverage of the disaster. [111], As of 16 March 2012 aftershocks continued, totaling 1887 events over magnitude 4.0; a regularly updated map showing all shocks of magnitude 4.5 and above near or off the east coast of Honshu in the last seven days[112] showed over 20 events. [397] Gravimetric data from the quake have been used to create a model for increased warning time compared to seismic models, as gravity fields travel faster than seismic waves. Both interplate and intraplate earthquakes appeared in the aftershocks offshore Sanriku coast with considerable proportions.[82]. [162] The tsunami washed away the sole bridge to Miyatojima, Miyagi, isolating the island's 900 residents. [256] Most were restored to operating condition by 18 April 2012. Researchers soon after the full extent of the disaster was known launched a project to gather all digital material relating to the disaster into an online searchable archive to form the basis of future research into the events during and after the disaster. [296], In addition to refining and storage, several power plants were damaged. In the updated system, for a powerful earthquake that is capable of causing the JMA magnitude scale to saturate, no quantitative prediction will be released in the initial warning; instead, there will be words that describe the situation's emergency. [95] The axial shift was caused by the redistribution of mass on the Earth's surface, which changed the planet's moment of inertia. 東北地方太平洋沖地震, Tōhoku-chihō Taiheiyō-oki jishin) tapahtui perjantaina 11. maaliskuuta 2011 klo 14.46 paikallista aikaa Japanissa Tōhokun alueella Sendain kaupungin lähellä. [41] The speed of the Earth's rotation increased, shortening the day by 1.8 microseconds due to the redistribution of Earth's mass. This is an alphabetically sorted list of cities and towns severely damaged by the … The center, which houses a control room for part of the International Space Station, was shut down and some damage was reported. [350] Services on Akita Shinkansen resumed with limited numbers of trains on 18 March. [202][203], As of April 2012, wreckage from the tsunami spread around the world, including a soccer ball which was found in Alaska's Middleton Island and a Japanese motorcycle found in British Columbia, Canada. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In a subduction zone, one plate slides beneath another into the mantle, the hotter layer beneath the crust. [305], Later analysis indicated three reactors at Fukushima I (Units 1, 2, and 3) had suffered meltdowns and continued to leak coolant water. Dess hypocentrum låg på cirka 25 kilometers djup vid Japanska graven utanför kusten i regionen Tohoku i Japan, cirka 380 kilometer från Tokyo. [334], Japan's transport network suffered severe disruptions. It is believed that the early warning by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) saved many lives. Cooling is needed to remove decay heat after a Generation II reactor has been shut down, and to maintain spent fuel pools. [73] In 2007, the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw 8.1–8.3 was estimated as 99% within the following 30 years.[74]. Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tōhoku Earthquake, severe natural disaster that occurred in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. [294][295], The city-owned plant for importing liquefied natural gas in Sendai was severely damaged, and supplies were halted for at least a month. [340], A tsunami flooded Sendai Airport at 15:55 JST,[137] about 1 hour after the initial quake, causing severe damage. The Japanese Foreign Ministry confirmed the deaths of nineteen foreigners. [102], The first sign international researchers had that the earthquake caused such a dramatic change in the Earth's rotation came from the United States Geological Survey which monitors Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) stations across the world. In response the Japanese government mobilized the Self-Defence Forces (under Joint Task Force – Tōhoku, led by Lieutenant General Eiji Kimizuka), while many countries sent search and rescue teams to help search for survivors. [371][372][373] In Tokyo, there was damage to Koishikawa Kōrakuen, Rikugien, Hamarikyū Onshi Teien, and the walls of Edo Castle. Four dams within the quake area were unreachable. [276], To help alleviate the shortage, three steel manufacturers in the Kanto region contributed electricity produced by their in-house conventional power stations to TEPCO for distribution to the general public. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/event/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-of-2011, LiveScience - Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011: Facts and Information, National Geographic - Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, NOAA National Center for Environmental Information - Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Review how underwater earthquakes, volcanoes, or landslides can generate tsunamis. Overall electricity consumption during July and August was also 14% less than in the previous year. Vor der Tōhoku-Katastrophe 2011 war Japan als ein weltweit führendes Land im Tsunami-Katastrophenschutz bekannt. [185][186], In the Philippines, waves up to 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high hit the eastern seaboard of the country. [387], Atsushi Funahashi, director of Nuclear Nation notes that "when the overseas media was calling Fukushima a 'meltdown,' the Japanese government and media waited two months before admitting it. Also, many people caught in the tsunami thought they were on high enough ground to be safe. When the roads clear, experts will be dispatched to conduct further investigations. [287], An analyst estimates that consumption of various types of oil may increase by as much as 300,000 barrels (48,000 m3) per day (as well as LNG), as back-up power plants burning fossil fuels try to compensate for the loss of 11 GW of Japan's nuclear power capacity. [355] Internet services were largely unaffected in areas where basic infrastructure remained, despite the earthquake having damaged portions of several undersea cable systems landing in the affected regions; these systems were able to reroute around affected segments onto redundant links. In Russia, the main shock could be felt in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (MSK 4) and Kurilsk (MSK 4). Kyodo News, "Survivors in trauma after life-changing nightmare day". Major railways began running trains at 10–20 minute intervals, rather than the usual 3–5 minute intervals, operating some lines only at rush hour and completely shutting down others; notably, the Tōkaidō Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Sōbu Main Line and Chūō-Sōbu Line were all stopped for the day. The sudden horizontal and vertical thrusting of the Pacific Plate, which has been slowly advancing under the Eurasian Plate near Japan, displaced the water above and spawned a series of highly destructive tsunami waves. [197][198] There was a great deal of damage to buildings on the islands and one man was injured but there were no reported fatalities. The event began with a powerful earthquake off the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, which caused widespread damage on land and initiated a series of large tsunami waves that devastated many coastal areas of the country, most notably in the Tōhoku region (northeastern Honshu). [134], The earthquake took place at 14:46 JST (UTC 05:46) around 67 kilometres (42 mi) from the nearest point on Japan's coastline, and initial estimates indicated the tsunami would have taken 10 to 30 minutes to reach the areas first affected, and then areas farther north and south based on the geography of the coastline. Because tsunami walls had been overtopped, the committee also suggested, besides building taller tsunami walls, also teaching citizens how to evacuate if a large-scale tsunami should strike. [76] The hypocentral region of this earthquake extended from offshore Iwate Prefecture to offshore Ibaraki Prefecture. Japan experienced over 1,000 aftershocks since the earthquake, with 80 registering over magnitude 6.0 Mw and several of which have been over magnitude 7.0 Mw. This page was last edited on 22 February 2021, at 19:39. [300] Over 200,000 people were evacuated. From the averaged coupling coefficient of 0.5–0.8 in the source area and the seismic moment, it was estimated that the slip deficit of this earthquake was accumulated over a period of 260–880 years, which is consistent with the recurrence interval of such great earthquakes estimated from the tsunami deposit data. 2. These tsunamis have cost thousand of lives of people in their areas covered and thousands are also injured. As of the end of May 2011, residents of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures had requested deregistration of 15,000 vehicles, meaning that the owners of those vehicles were writing them off as unrepairable or unsalvageable. "What Have Religious Groups Done After 3.11? [249] Three hundred hospitals with 20 beds or more in Tōhoku were damaged by the disaster, with 11 being completely destroyed. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Large stretches of land were left submerged under seawater, particularly in lower-lying areas. [13][33][34] He was killed by the earthquake and tsunami at Kamaishi, Iwate. [175], Delayed evacuations in response to the warnings had a number of causes. At 07:30 UTC, PTWC issued a widespread tsunami warning covering the entire Pacific Ocean. The Tsukuba control center resumed full operations for the space station's Kibo laboratory and the HTV cargo craft on 21 March 2011. I begynnelsen av april 2011 bekreftet det japanske … The agency warned of aftershocks for several days. The ports at Hitachinaka, Hitachi, Soma, Shiogama, Kesennuma, Ofunato, Kamashi and Miyako were also damaged and closed to ships. (Scientific American) Fact 8: The strong ground motion registered at the maximum of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale in Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture. [377], The aftermath of the twin disasters also left Japan's coastal cities and towns with nearly 25 million tons of debris. As the floodwaters retreated back to the sea, they carried with them enormous quantities of debris, as well as thousands of victims caught in the deluge. The quake caused no injuries and little damage.) [109][110], On 7 December 2012 a large aftershock of magnitude 7.3 Mw caused a minor tsunami, and again on 26 October 2013 a small tsunami was recorded after a 7.1 Mw aftershock. [333], None of Japan's commercial wind turbines, totaling over 2300 MW in nameplate capacity, failed as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, including the Kamisu offshore wind farm directly hit by the tsunami. The rolling blackouts brought on by the crises at the nuclear power plants in Fukushima had a profound effect on the rail networks around Tokyo starting on 14 March. [266], In the immediate aftermath of the calamity, at least 1.5 million households were reported to have lost access to water supplies. [301], The aftershock on 7 April caused the loss of external power to Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant and Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant but backup generators were functional. John Rafferty, associate editor of Earth sciences at Encyclopædia Britannica, discussing tsunamis. [346], There were no derailments of Shinkansen bullet train services in and out of Tokyo, but their services were also suspended. [262][263][264] Reportedly, some locals had attempted to repair leaks in the dam before it completely failed. The largest fault slip ever recorded caused the tsunami that hit Japan. Of those who didn't heed the warning, 49% were hit by the water. Het epicentrum van de beving, die een kracht van 9,0 - 9,1 op de momentmagnitudeschaal had, bevond zich voor de kust van de prefectuur Miyagi op circa 370 km ten noordoosten van de Japanse hoofdstad Tokio en circa … Fifteen ports were located in the disaster zone. [39][40][41] This deviation led to a number of small planetary changes, including the length of a day, the tilt of the Earth, and the Chandler wobble. [104], A month later, a major aftershock struck offshore on 7 April with a magnitude of 7.1 Mw. Cargo contained yellowtail jack fish, a species that lives off the coast of Japan, still alive. [324], A fire occurred in the turbine section of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant following the earthquake. [150][151] Also largely destroyed was Rikuzentakata, where the tsunami was three stories high. März 2011 ein Tsunami weite Teile der Nordostküste. Jordskjelvet utløste en tsunamibølge som først og fremst rammet den nordøstlige delen av Japan, men tsunamivarsel ble sendt til hele stillehavsområdet. [392][393] The Japanese government had tracked plate movements since 1976 in preparation for the so-called Tokai earthquake, predicted to take place in that region.